Philanthropic Accomplishments
At Sigma Nu, we strive to incorporate our central tenets of Love, Honor, and Truth into our interactions with the community—both at Columbia University and beyond. During the 2010-2011 academic year, our brothers proudly logged over 1,000 hours of charitable work and helped raise over 2,000 dollars for philanthropic causes. We firmly support a wide variety of initiatives, from special education clinics to public health foundations, and do our best to partner with a comprehensive set of student groups and non-profit organizations. Through Sigma Nu’s unwavering dedication to service, our brothers not only gain invaluable perspective and the opportunities to help those in need; they also obtain pivotal connections in the non-profit sector, firsthand event-management experience, and a familiarity with charity-centered careers. If you are interested in the philanthropic work of Sigma Nu—whether as a prospective brother or group looking for support for your charitable initiative—please contact our Philanthropy Chairman, Alex Smyk, at ats2142@columbia.edu
Below is a list of our philanthropic involvements during the 2010-2011 school year.
· Gift Of Life Foundation Bone Marrow Drive: Our brothers registered approximately 200 individuals as prospective bone marrow donors in the Gift of Life Foundation’s Bone Marrow Database. With our work, people in need of life-saving bone marrow transplants have crucial access to a larger pool of support.
o Gift of Life: http://www.giftoflife.org/default.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1
· GrowNYC Stop ‘N’ Swap: Sigma Nu partnered with the environmental non-profit, GrowNYC, to host a reuse and recycle fair on Butler Walkway. The almost 400 individuals in attendance came from all over the city to bring lightly used clothing and household items, which could in turn be picked up free of charge by those in need. Everything left over at the end of the day was donated or recycled. The Stop ‘N’ Swap helped Columbia’s neighbors while supporting the green initiatives of reuse and recycling.
o “On behalf of GrowNYC I would like to thank and congratulate you on your tireless effort on this project” – Ermin Siljkovic, GrowNYC
o GrowNYC: http://www.grownyc.org/
· Youth for Debate Karaoke Night Fundraiser: Our brothers opened our brownstone to Youth for Debate—a student group that teaches public speaking at disadvantaged middle and high schools throughout the city—and helped host a karaoke night for the Columbia community. Through good times and bad singing, we raised over $550 for YFD, completely paying for its application to become a national non-profit organization.
o “With Sigma Nu’s help, we can expand our program to reach needy students across the country” – Taarini Vohra, President and Founder of YFD
o Youth for Debate: http://youthfordebate.org/
· Columbia Community Outreach: Through CCO, a Columbia-wide day of charitable work, Sigma Nu teamed up with Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority to provide support at an elderly rehabilitation center. By facilitating exercise, Sigma Nu advanced the health and happiness of its residents.
o Columbia Community Outreach: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/outreach/
· Columbia/Barnard Hillel Bone Marrow Drive: During a Hillel-sponsored event, our brothers registered prospective bone marrow donors.
o Hillel: http://www.hillel.columbia.edu/
· Spring Clothing Exchange: Sigma Nu partnered with Pi Delta Psi Fraternity, Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority, Green Umbrella, and Hillel in order to hold a month-long clothing collection. The drive culminated in a used clothing flea market, where individuals from Morningside Heights and the university could purchase clothes at highly discounted prices. The proceeds went to the Streets of Hope Charity, which works in Senegal, and the leftover 4,000 articles of clothing were donated through Wearable Collections.
o Coverage of this event in the Columbia Daily Spectator: (Read: From Push to Pull) http://eye.columbiaspectator.com/article/2011/04/21/getting-green-light
o Streets of Hope Charity: http://www.streetsofhopecharity.org/
· American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life: Our brothers fielded a Relay team and helped fundraise for the American Cancer Society. We also held an on-site water balloon slingshot contest and aided with the event’s management. Sigma Nu contributed to the fight against a disease that touches countless lives across the globe.
o Columbia Relay for Life: http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY11GW?pg=entry&fr_id=33779
· Project HAPPY Fundraiser and Coaching: For several years, our brothers have contributed mentors to the Hunter Activity Program for Parents and Youth, an athletic coaching project for autistic children. Each week we send several brothers to work with children of a variety of ages. This year, we facilitated the program’s first-ever SWIMATHON, a fundraising project that netted $10,000 for Project HAPPY’s awesome mission.
o “The first annual Project HAPPY SWIMATHON was a huge success, and it's all thanks to the efforts of your fraternity” – Penny Shaw, Director of Project HAPPY
o Project HAPPY: http://www.project-happy.org/